


Dance in My Living Room

by Nodusormu



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Not Hockey Players (Hockey RPF), Photographer Auston, Will update tags when we get there, barista frederik, i've never been to toronto so i made it all up, marked Explicit for later chapters, still has some hockey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:21:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22140307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nodusormu/pseuds/Nodusormu
Summary: Auston has been pining over a certain redheaded barista for long enough. His roommates take things into their own hands, much to Auston's embarrassment.
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Auston Matthews
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madalaena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madalaena/gifts).

> Whelp. I'm in hockey hell. Never thought I'd fall into the hockey trash bin ever again, but here I am. Go Leafs!
> 
> Howdy hey if you are mentioned and/or know anyone in this fic, please turn away. I do not personally know anyone in this fic so everything is either public knowledge or made up.
> 
> For Allie because she inspired me and also let me cry about hockey boys in her DMs lol

He's been home for all of two seconds when it happens. He's still wearing his beanie and coat for crying out loud.

To Auston’s complete and utter horror, Mitch pulls a Starbucks cup from out of the cabinet. It’s been washed and dried by hand, and still has AUSTON written across it in black, neat script. 

If the one cup wasn’t bad enough, it gets worse when Mitch pulls down a second, and then a third.

“What the..” Mitch says to himself.

Oh God. Auston can feel the heat rising to his face, surely bright red by the time Mitch catches him standing on the other side of the breakfast bar.

“Aus, did you fucking _ save _your cups?” He asks with an amused expression.

“No.” It’s an obvious lie that has Mitch cackling.

“Oh my fucking God, Aus! You are so gone on him, aren’t you?”

Auston turns around, heading back to the living room while pulling his beanie down over his face. He had a very long day and Mitch is already chirping him about the cups.

And okay. Yes. He is keeping and saving his Starbucks cups, but only when Frederik writes his name on them. It’s stupid, but he can’t help it. There’s three in the kitchen that Mitch found and there’s another two he’s put pens in on his desk, but Mitch doesn’t need to know about those.

“Aus did what now?” Zach pipes up and pauses the video game he’s been playing when Auston plops down in the recliner.

Because Mitch just loves to embarrass him, he comes out from the kitchen with the plastic Starbucks cups to show Zach.

“Oh fuck, you’re still saving them?” He says in disbelief.

“You knew?” Mitch is trying so hard not to laugh and Auston hates him in this moment.

“Fuck off,” Auston groans, violenty wrestling out of his coat in his annoyance. “The both of you.”

“He has a couple on his desk,” Zach spills the beans and Auston just wants to die.

He sinks further into the chair and draws his legs up to make himself as small as possible.

“You’re so fucked,” Mitch cackles and deposits the cups on the coffee table.

“Remind us why you haven’t asked him out again?” Zach asks.

“Because then he would have to meet you guys and I’d rather die single than have that happen.” 

“We aren’t _ that _ bad, are we?” Zach directs this question to Mitch, who’s smiling so wide it looks like it might hurt.

-

They are, in fact, _ that _bad. 

Honestly, it’s worse than Auston could have ever imagined it. Both Zach and Mitch are there at Starbucks with him a few days later, the three of them in line. Auston’s trying to pretend like he doesn’t see Frederik behind the counter with his sleeves rolled up to the elbow and showing off his forearms.

Jesus. It should be illegal to look so good in a button up.

Auston busies himself with his phone, checking emails he’s already checked and then the weather while the line moves slowly forward. Mitch and Zach are being oddly quiet, or maybe they’re in dire need of caffeine at seven thirty in the morning.

When they get up to the front of the line, Auston pockets his phone and tries not to read into Frederik moving from the espresso machine to the register, taking over for cashier and plastering on a wide grin that damn near blinds Auston.

“Good morning,” he says, uncapping a permanent marker. “What can I get for you three?”

“One venti iced white mocha with an extra shot. No whip, please,” Mitch recites his usual order, and then Zach says after him, “Venti chai latte with almond milk.”

Frederik writes their orders on corresponding sized cups and then asks for their names, writing those down as well. “And for you? Want your usual?” Frederik is looking right at Auston when he asks, his smile looking like the fucking sun shining down on Auston.

He just nods in response and flashes a small, nervous smile. Frederik fills out the drink order on the cup and writes AUSTON across it, unprompted.

To Auston’s dismay, he isn’t off the hook just yet; because he’s last to order, he has to pay. Avoiding eye contact, he opens the Apple Pay app on his phone and holds it to the pinpad.

“Hey,” Mitch says right over Auston’s shoulder. He just _ hear _ the smile on Mitch’s face. Why does it make Auston want to crawl into a hole? “So we were thinking of checking out a Leafs game next week.”

Ah, that would be why.

The pinpad beeps after accepting payment and the receipt starts to print. Frederik’s just standing there staring over Auston’s shoulder, probably at Mitch, with a raised brow.

“Oh?” Is all he says to prompt more and Auston thinks about booking it out of the Starbucks and never coming back. Ever.

“Yeah,” Zach says. Jesus, he’s also smiling by the sounds of it. “We were wondering if you’d like to go with us.”

Auston dares to look up and is immediately met with Frederik’s blue gaze. He’s not smiling anymore, mouth slack and pulling off an adorable confused looked.

“Uh,” Frederik starts, and then moves to start on their drinks without another word.

Mitch and Zach drag Auston to follow him down the counter, both men patiently waiting while Auston might vibrate out of his skin. If the floor could open up and swallow him, that’d be really fucking swell.

Frederik doesn’t say anything while he finishes up the three drinks, obviously trying to figure out a way to be polite and decline their offer. It’s not like any of them have tried to talk to him before, but to be fair Auston has his stupid crush so of course he hasn’t tried to chat up Frederik. He’s content with stealing glances of him while in line or the few times he’s come in with his laptop to work on editing.

Soon enough their time’s up and all three drinks are put on the counter, Mitch and Zach silently reserved with not getting an answer out of him. Auston can’t control his face from heating up, embarrassed because of his friends and the fact he couldn’t ask Frederik himself.

Zach and Mitch collect their cups, but when Auston goes to grab his cup, it’s snatched up before he can get ahold of it. Frederik has it in one hand, and that black marker in the other hand. He scribbles something else on Auston’s cup then sets it back down.

“As for your question, yes,” he finally answers. “I haven’t been to a game since last season. Let me know when you’re going.” And then he fucking _ winks _ at Auston.

“Hell yeah he will,” Mitch says as he claps Auston on the back, damn near knocking him over in the process.

Auston’s not even sure how he gets outside of the coffee shop, but Zach and Mitch are on either side of him, and all Auston can look at is the phone number Frederik wrote on his cup. Well, _ Freddie _. That’s how he signed his named in the same neat handwriting.

Auston smiles to himself, ignoring Mitch’s elbow digging into his side and Zach’s ‘I told you he’d say yes’.

He’s for sure keeping this one, and the boys hopefully won't chirp him about it this time.

-

Of all of his friends, Willy is the one who volunteers to help text Freddie. It kind of helps that he hasn't even met him yet, but he will if Freddie says yes to going to the game. (Auston may or may not have already bought everyone tickets already. He gets a discount through work so it just made sense so they could all sit together, okay.)

"Just start simple," Willy says. "Let him know it's you and say 'hey'."

"Oh my God, I know. I _ can _ do this without your help, you know."

This makes Willy laugh and wipe a fake tear from his eye. "Sure you could, Aus."

Auston, with all the grace and wisdom his mother gave him, mimics Willy with a high pitched voice while he types out his first text to Frederik.

**  
Auston  
** **hi its auston from starbucks  
  
**

He goes to hit send, but then second guesses himself and shows Willy.

"So like that?"

Willy, bless him, rolls his eyes and takes Auston's phone. "Let me do this." And then he deletes the short message and starts typing another, and before Auston can say anything, he hits send.

**  
Auston  
** **hey, its auston. you still up for that leafs game? got us tickets for next saturdays game.  
  
**

"Fucking hell! Why did you open with that?"

"What?" Willy shrugs and then holds the phone out of Auston's reach. "It's direct and to the point. You want him to come with us, right?"

"That is beside the point! I wasn't gonna tell him I already got the tickets. Now he'll feel obligated to go because of it."

"So? Isn't the point for him to go?"

Auston frowns and crawls onto Willy so he can wrestle his phone back. It doesn't work exactly, mostly just the two of them rough housing on the couch with the phone knocked onto the floor.

The two of them freeze when Auston's phone pings twice in rapid succession, and then both of them scramble onto the floor for it.

Auston wins. But then he chickens out opening his texts so he shoves the phone in Willy's direction.

"How are you even going to interact with this dude if you can't even look at his texts?'

Auston can cross that bridge when he gets there, alright. In the mean time he rubs at his face and sighs. "Shut up and tell me what he said."

Willy doesn't say anything when he looks at the screen, his face blank and neutral even as he starts typing back. When he's done he shows Auston.

**  
Freddie  
** **Sup, Auston. Yeah I'm still interested in going to a game. Saturday the 14th, right?  
** **What do I owe you for the ticket?**

**  
Auston  
** **yeah its the 14th and you don't owe me anything  
** **unless you wanna cover dinner and maybe some beers ;)  
  
**

A winky face? Auston can feel his whole face turn color and grow warm. He shoves Willy over.

“What are you, twelve? No one fucking uses winky faces anymore!"

His phone pings in his hand and he looks at it with mild hesitating before he braves unlocking it to check. His stomach swoops and he can’t help the smile that breaks out across his face.

**  
Freddie  
** **I'd be down for that ;)  
  
** ****

Okay, well. Maybe Freddie uses them, so he guesses it's okay.

When Willy sees the response, he throws his head back and cackles, flailing around on the floor and kicking Auston as he wiggles.

"I hate you," Auston says without any heat and then starts typing his own text that he can read in his voice and not Willy's.

**  
Auston  
** **cool! a couple of my friends are going with to the game  
** **hope thats okay  
  
**

Auston chews on his lower lip as three dots appear almost immediately and then disappear, only to reappear again.

**  
Freddie  
** **That's cool.  
** **Would you like to hang out before the game?   
  
**

All at once Auston blushes and breaks out into a full body sweat.

**Auston  
** **like dinner before the game?  
  
**

He has to clarify because this is very quickly going into 'this is a date' territory.

**  
Freddie  
** **Yeah  
  
**

Auston’s stomach grows hot and tight again, and he knows he’s blushing but he can’t help it.

**  
Auston  
** **yeah dinner before sounds great  
**

**Freddie  
** **It’s a date :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Auston  
my friends are idiots  
[picture of Zach and Willy wresting]  
[picture of Zach triumphantly sitting on Willy’s back]**

**Freddie  
HAH!  
I know that’s Zach, who’s the blond?**

**Auston  
my friend willy  
he tried to change the channel  
zach said no lol**

-

  
  


**Freddie  
[picture of cappuccino art in the shape of a maple leaf]  
Excited for this weekend?**

**Auston  
!!!!!!!  
DID YOU MAKE THAT??  
AND YES! i am very excited**

-

The day before the game, Freddie suggests a couple different places for dinner. Auston picks one at random and agrees to it, so Freddie sends him the address, a smiley face, and a ‘I can’t wait!’ that has Auston smiling like a lovesick puppy for the rest of the night.

When Auston looks up the Courthouse Exchange, it suddenly very much feels like a date-date. The review pictures show a low hanging ceiling that makes the place feel intimate, and there’s a mirrored wall behind the bar, tables with candles and lots of dark wood. It’s cozy and causal, but still makes him think  _ date-date _ .

Because he’s nervous, Saturday afternoon he has Zach, Willy and Mitch help him pick out an outfit. Honestly, it's mostly Mitch. Willy and Zach are too busy poking fun at Auston's shoe collection.

“It’s not officially a date-date,” Auston says down to the three sets of clothes Mitch arranges on the bed. “I don’t want to like, get all dressed up and then we end up at the game and I look like a tool.”

“But he said it was a date,” Zach pipes up.

“People say ‘it’s a date’ all the time when making plans with friends.” Auston frowns, not at the clothes per say but Mitch snatches up a shirt then switches with another one.

“No they don’t!” Zach laughs. "And you guys aren't really friends yet."

"Yeah, they’re gonna be  _ boyfriends _ ," Willy says oh so maturely. That comment earns him a glare from both Auston and Mitch.

“Anyway, you can’t go wrong with any of these outfits,” Mitch promises, smiling proudly at the clothes laid out on the bed and doing good to distract Auston and his nerves.

All three outfits are varying combinations of jeans and some of his nicer tops. They’re not bad, but he’s nervous so Auston hums and haws over them for another twenty minutes before he actually picks; grey jeans with a soft red v-neck long sleeve. He has a beanie that matches the pants, and if he takes his jersey to the game it’ll still look good when he puts it on. Mitch even approves his shoes and coat choice, smiling wide at his handy work.

With that figured out, he goes to change and comes out of the bathroom. Willy wolf whistles while Mitch and Zach clap and cheer over enthusiastically. Auston hates how he turns red from their teasing and ducks his head, kicking at the carpet with a socked foot. Auston both hates and loves his friends, and he wouldn’t trade them for anything.

“So, we’ll meet you at the stadium around six so we can catch warm ups?” Mitch pops up from the bed, swinging his car keys around a finger.

Auston nods. It’s almost half past four now, so he orders himself an Uber so he can get to the bar by five. He plans on asking Freddie if he wants to split an Uber to the stadium, and then if things go well, they can share one home. Not like, to the same place. Auston can barely think five minutes ahead of himself, he doesn’t need to think about the possibility of going home with Freddie, or vice versa.

_ Unless things go badly _ , a little voice whispers in the back of his head.

He hopes things go well, but if they don’t then he can catch a ride with Mitch since he’s taking his car with Willy and Zach.

Anyway! Back to being positive! Auston shakes himself out and exhales all the bad vibes.

With his Uber ordered, the four of them start clearing out of Auston's bedroom, gathering coats, hats, and shoes. Auston grabs his camera bag and the jersey Mitch got him last year and folds it to fit around his lenses. Once the four of them have made it outside, he locks the door and checks to see where his driver is.

“Hey,” Willy says, stopping their group when they get onto the sidewalks. “You got this, Aus.”

Willy puts up a hand and Auston automatically grabs it and pulls him into a one armed hug. Then it’s Zach and Mitch’s turn to do the same thing, both saying encouraging, yet equally as embarrassing things to him before they wander off to find Mitch’s parked car down the block.

-

When Auston finally arrives, he finds Freddie sitting at the bar looking over a menu, two glasses of water already ordered. He knows it’s only a few minutes past when they agreed to meet, so he only feels a little guilty, but still very much frazzled. 

There’s nothing that can save Auston’s heart from jumping into his throat when Freddie spots him and his face breaks into a smile. God, it makes him feel weak and mushy and all kinds of  _ other _ things.

If Auston thought this wasn’t an official date-date, it kind of suddenly feels very much like one because Freddie isn’t in his usual black button down and black pants. He’s wearing a dark blue henley that’s unbuttoned at the top and dark washed jeans that make his legs look extra long and unreal. 

He’s so beautiful Auston forgets to say anything while walking over.

“Hey,” Freddie says, menu forgotten in lew of standing to greet Auston. For a moment he isn’t sure if Freddie is going in for a hug or if he wants to shake his hand, but settles on a nervous fist bump that makes Auston blush for some god awful reason.

“Hey yourself.” Auston starts to pull off his coat. He does not miss the way Freddie’s eye run down him and then flick back to his face. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“No, I’ve only been here a few minutes." Freddie shakes his head and sits back down, moving his coat out of Auston’s saved seat. 

After hanging his jacket and bag on the back of his chair, Auston takes the seat next to Freddie and picks up one of the menus to start looking over.

“So I’ve never been here before,” Auston admits sheepishly, eyes roaming over their large specialty drink selection and then the other side of the menu for food. “Recommend anything?”

Freddie lights up and smiles conspiratorially as he bumps shoulders with him to point out dishes and drinks on Auston’s menu. He can’t help the color that climbs up his neck, or looking over at Freddie when he talks, his gaze switching between watching Freddie’s mouth while he speaks with a slight accent Auston can’t place, and then his blue eyes that seem to sparkle in the low lighting.

“Honestly, all of it’s delicious and cheaper than anything at the game.” Freddie shrugs, bumping him again with another soft smile. “But don’t worry about price. I know how much tickets cost, so I definitely owe you.”

“What?” Auston swears his voice cracks and he blushes harder. “No! Please, don’t worry about it. I got a discount through work, so please don’t spend a ton of money on dinner or at the game.”

“Oh, well,” Freddie says, suddenly a little nervous in the way he rubs both palms against his thighs. “What if I wanted to spend all that money on you anyway?”

When Freddie looks down at him, Auston can feel his stomach burst with butterflies. “Um, would, uh.. would that make this a date-date then?”

Freddie nods slowly and smiles a bit shyly. “I would like it to be one, if that’s okay?”

Auston has to look away from him, eyes down on the menu but not really reading. “That’s okay with me.” He finally gets the words out and allows himself a small smile, excited but nervous all over again.

“I’m glad,” Freddie bumps their knees and then keeps them pressed together, a warm and steady presence that has Auston’s heart beating hard against his chest.

Thankfully before Auston can embarrass himself by saying something like 'I've wanted to ask you out for almost two months', the bartender comes by to take their drink orders and see if they’re ordering from the kitchen. Freddie gets a house beer and one of their specialty burgers, while Auston gets an apple beer and the same burger since he didn’t really read the menu all that much. He was too busy being flustered and needs to learn how to control his nerves.

“Does that burger really have mac and cheese on it?” He asks when the bartender leaves them to get their drinks.

“Yes it does.” Freddie chuckles, eyes teasing while he deadpans, “that’s why it’s called the Mac‘n’Cheese Burger.”

“Oh, well.. I just figured it’d have a bunch of cheese or something.” Auston fiddles with the napkin under his water, pressing his knee against Freddie’s and daring to look up at him.

_ God, he’s so fucking  _ _gorgeous_, Auston thinks. Freddie’s tall, maybe got an inch or two on him, and his ginger hair is coiffed and soft looking, and damn near glowing with the dimmed bar lights hanging over head. And his eyes, they’re so blue that Auston could happily drown in them, if he’s being honest.

“Nope. It’s got a scoop of homemade mac and cheese on it.” Freddie pushes back with his knee, and then his thigh slides to rest against Auston’s. 

Is he trying to give Auston heart palpitations? Because it’s fucking working.

The bartender comes back with their beers, saving Auston once again from needing to say something while he takes a sip. It’s sweet and crisp, so he takes a deeper drink. Freddie half empties his glass in one go, foam on his upper lip that Auston can’t stop staring at when he licks it off. He gets caught staring and takes another drink of his beer to cover it up.

“So, Auston,” he says, relaxing with his glass in hand, posed to take another drink. “What is it that brings you into my cafe at the crack of dawn?”

“Uh, work mostly.” Auston takes another big drink from his beer and sets it down, scratching at his chin. “I’m a photographer. Currently got a contract with a clothing company downtown to get their newest line up online and they want to do a catalog for the spring.”

Freddie's eyebrows go up and he flashes a teasing smile. “Spend all your time with models, huh?”

“Nope,” he gently pops the p. “Not really my scene.. although..” He rubs the back of his neck, then leans into Freddie, smiling a bit too wide in his excitement. “Morgan Rielly is fronting one of their lines of suits so he’s supposed to come in after the new year for some photos.” 

Auston hopes he doesn’t sound like he’s bragging, but he’s actually really stoked about getting to work with him.

Regardless if it comes across that way, Freddie grins. “That is pretty fucking sweet.”

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.” Auston pauses to take another drink when Freddie does, then adds, “but I do more than studio sessions, too.”

“Oh yeah?” Freddie empties his glass and sets it aside. "I would love to see some of your work one of these days."

Auston tries not to flush and fails. He glances down at his half empty beer, spinning the glass in circles slowly.

"Most of my current stuff is pretty boring, but I could show you some of my usual stuff.. if you want."

Freddie nods, face eager and leaning in. "I'd love to see it."

He sounds so sincere that it makes Auston blush more. "Uh, sure, yeah." He fishes out his phone, unlocks it and pulls up the photo gallery, finding the right one that’s synced from his camera a few days ago. He hands the phone to Freddie with a nervous smile.

The first couple times he scrolls there’s nothing but models in clothes with different backdrops, but after a little while Freddie gets to some cityscapes and even some from Graffiti Alley. He clicks on one of them and slowly shuffles through them, smiling down at the screen. He stops to admire a few for more than a few seconds, but don’t comment. It makes Auston nervous but he does his best to keep his cool.

And then Freddie gets to a section of photos where Willy and Zach had taken Auston's camera and ambushed him for an impromptu photoshoot. The pictures move backwards through time, starting out rushed then calming. 

In the first photos Auston looks embarrassed and open mouthed, obviously asking for his camera back with his hand out. Progressively the photos get blurry with motion until there’s a few simple ones of Auston at a distance before he noticed.

Freddie pauses at that last one, before it all got chaotic. Auston’s sitting on a park bench, relaxed and looking down at his Starbucks cup in his hands. (One that he’s pretty sure Freddie gave him, not that he’s going to tell him that.)

When Freddie slides to the next phone it’s an off angled selfie of Zach and Willy giving each other bunny ears right before the ambush.

"Oh, uh," Auston flushes brightly and reaches for his phone. "S-sorry, my friends were messing around with my camera the other week."

Freddie lets him have the phone back with no issue, and he's still smiling, if a bit more softly. "I think you look really cute in that last one, on the bench."

That just doesn't help Auston whatsoever. There's no way to stop blushing or to say anything to that. Freddie makes him tongue tied when he's standing there, but when he says Auston's cute? Auston thinks his heart my explode.

"And I really like your other pieces. Good composition and lighting. Are those edited?"

Auston blinks for a moment before his brain catches up that Freddie asked a question about his work. "Oh, uh, no. I just dumped my memory card to free up room for work."

He takes another drink of his beer and then clears his throat, finding his manners. “So, uh, what do you do when you’re not making shots and memorizing my Starbucks order?”

This gets Freddie to laugh, and it’s beautiful, and that is so totally worth being Grade-A Awkward Auston.

“Still making shots, but the fun kind.” Freddie leans on the bar with his elbow so he can cup his chin. “I used to work here once upon a time, but I live too far away now. But I do work at the Starlight Bar two streets down from the Starbucks you frequent. Working a back to back night shift from the bar to opening at Starbucks is a pain, but the tips are generally good.”

Auston raises both his brows in surprise. “I hope you’re not missing out on sleep for all this.”

“A bit,” Freddie admits. 

But before Auston can offer up any kind of apology or feel even remotely guilty, Freddie fixes him with a heavy stare that rakes down his chest and then back up to his face. “But for you, I’d miss more than just a little sleep.”

And then Freddie fucking  _ winks _ at him.

And it’s a good thing Auston wasn’t about to take a drink because he would’ve spit it out. Because he’s instantly bright red and opening and closing his mouth like a damn fish, looking for a proper response to  _ that _ .

Once again, the bartender saves him with their food being delivered and asking if they’d like refills on their beers.

Auston nods for a refill after Freddie does, and he’s thankful for the excuse of them eating so he doesn’t have to really talk too much. At first the silence feels awkward, but it’s broken the moment Auston takes his first bite of the Mac’n’Cheese Burger.

“Oh my god,” he damn near moans. “This is so good.”

The whole burger is basically falling apart with cheese and meat oozing out, but it’s so good that he takes another two bites and moans again.

Freddie’s no better off, but he at least eats with a little more grace. “Fuck mig, I know,” he sighs, pausing when their refills arrive so he can take a drink. “I’ve made this before back in the kitchen a few times, but somehow when I try to make it at home it just never comes out the same.”

“You worked in the kitchens, too?”

“Yeah. Not a lot, mostly just to cover shifts and help out. But that was probably two years ago. Now I only cook if my roommate doesn’t. Unless you want to count the scones and bagels at Starbucks.”

Auston snorts and tries not to be embarrassed about it. “Nah, I wouldn’t say those counted.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is all mostly written but for a few parts, so be patient and gentle with me please.


End file.
